Leadership Journeys of Senior Women in Higher Educaon€¦ · Leadership conducted and analyzed interviews with 35 senior level women leaders in higher education about their journey

Stories from the Summit Trail:Leadership Journeysof Senior Womenin Higher Educa�on

© 2014 HERS – Higher Education Resource Services The authors and sponsors of this report provide its content, and accompanying research, free of charge as a contribution to the field of higher education and the study of women’s leadership and encourage the use of the report in its original form. You may download and distribute this report (either electronically or in hard copy) without express permission, so long as the report is used in its entirety. For permission to use parts of the report in other forms, please contact HERS at (303) 871-6866 or [email protected].

For attribution in other work, the use of the following citation, which may be altered to suit your citation style, is preferred:

Hannum, K., Muhly, S., Shockley-Zalabak, P., & White, J. S. (2014). Stories from the summit trail: Leadership journeys of senior women in higher education. Denver, CO: Higher Education Resource Services (HERS). Retrieved from:http://hersnet.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/StoriesfromtheSummitTrail.pdf

STORIES FROM THE SUMMIT TRAIL:LEADERSHIP JOURNEYS OF SENIOR WOMEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Kelly Hannum Shannon Muhly

Pamela Shockley-ZalabakJudith S. White

August 2014

© 2014 HERS – Higher Education Resource Services

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are deeply indebted to the unnamed senior women leaders who shared their time and stories in these interviews.

We are grateful for the assistance and encouragement of our partners at TIAA-CREF.

We are particularly appreciative of the support of our organizations: HERS—Higher Education Resource Services, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and the Center for Creative Leadership.

The people listed below contributed to this project in a wide variety of ways and generously shared their time, talent, and insights with us. Our work is better because of their efforts.

Michael Dedmon

Stacey Farnum

Deborah Friedman

Lynn Gangone

Christopher Golden

KathyGriffith

Junghyun Lim

Shelley Popke

KatiePuryear

Carla Quarrels

Sarah Roth

Marian Ruderman

Laura Santana

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FOREWORD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

BARRIERS TO LEADERSHIP ROLES . . . . . . . . . . . .

Different Expectations for Men and Women . . .

Discouragement and Sabotage . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Lack of Opportunity and Support . . . . . . . . . . .

Not Having a Leadership Identity . . . . . . . . . . .

SUPPORTS FOR LEADERSHIP ROLES . . . . . . . . .

Encouragement and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Formal Development Experience . . . . . . . . . . .

Having a Role Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Early Leadership Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF BEING IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Time Demands of the Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Scrutiny and Criticism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Pressure of Ultimate Accountability . . . . . . . . .

Isolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Broad Scope of the Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Not Fitting In-Not Being Heard . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

POSITIVE ASPECTS OF BEING IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Making an Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Power, Authority, and Autonomy . . . . . . . . . . . .

Being a Role Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Broad Scope of the Job . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Having an Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

ADVICE FROM THE SUMMIT TRAIL . . . . . . . . . . . REFERENCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . APPENDICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SAMPLE AND METHOD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Today, as in decades past, Americans are recovering from a major recession, looking

toward growth, inclusion and cohesion to strengthen our nation’s economic, social and civic future. At the same time, thousands of accredited colleges and universities, the majority of which were hit particularly hard with budget reductions between 2007 and 2013, are preparing to educate millions more Americans in the years ahead, as our nation’s population grows from 316 million to over 400 million by 2050 (United States Census Bureau, 2012).

For the past century, the diversification of academic leaders to reflect the changing gender

and ethnic composition of college and university students has lagged far behind the growth of women and minority students on our campuses. Dr. Lynn Gordon (1990), Professor Emerita of History at the University of Rochester, documented that in 1870, 11,000 women were enrolled in higher education, representing 21% of all students in college. Today, an estimated 60% of college and university students are women and 37% are students of color. In contrast, the number of female and minority presidents in America’s colleges and universities is woefully underrepresented at an estimated 26% and 13% respectively (Cook & Kim, 2012).

The evidence over many decades is clear: women are excellent leaders of our colleges

and universit ies. Think about the stel lar accomplishments of Nancy Cantor, Waded Cruzado, Drew Gilpin Faust, Juliet García, Mildred García, Muriel Howard, DeRionne Pollard, Donna Shalala, and Nancy Zimpher to name just a few of the small number in office today! Further, our nation’s students need role models with deep knowledge of their cultures, histories and communities at all levels of the academy who reflect their genders, races and ethnicities. What better time to recruit top-tier, competent, confident women and minorities from the ranks of our nation’s faculty, department chairs, deans and other positions to take the helm at the highest levels of our institutions? Dramatic change is needed and the time is now.

Stories from the Summit Trail provides guidance for our efforts. This new research from HERS,

the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and the Center for Creative Leadership documents the leadership journeys of 35 women presidents, chancellors, provosts and vice presidents. Their stories offer a clear path forward for colleges, universities and policy leaders at the local, state and federal levels to make significant changes in the number of women – especially women of color – who are positioning and positioned right now to enter these top academic jobs. Progress to diversify the top ranks of leadership has been slow, and we must change course. The results of this study call upon all of us – women and men – to think deeply about and take action to recruit differently, to hire differently, and to support differently those women who will, in turn, elevate our nation’s human capital to far higher levels than in decades past.

Our nation needs more women to lead our institutions and to bring connection between

collaboration and competition. We need to develop legions of mentors to identify and cultivate diverse female talent who will govern, lead and manage our institutions, to help these new leaders tackle the toughest problems imaginable. We must have more senior women available to share lessons learned with younger women, so they are not left to find the trail alone.

As we reflect on the remarkable contributions of the courageous women who are leading right

now, together we can leverage the time ahead of us to have a greater impact on our students, our institutions, our communities, and our nation than ever before. It is essential that governing boards, college and university leaders, foundation and business CEOs, and policymakers take time to read this report and join the call to action. America cannot wait any longer to diversify its top ranks with the bold and thoughtful steps proposed in this report. Our nation’s future is at stake and we need leaders who understand what is at risk, who will pursue new directions for higher education and who will take action to ensure that education will drive our civic, social and economic prosperity for the 21st century.

FOREWORD BY MARTHA KANTER


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Stories from the Summit Trail: Leadership Journeys of Senior Women Leaders in Higher Education

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

With support from TIAA-CREF, a collaborative team of researchers from HERS—Higher Education Resource Services, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and the Center for Creative

Leadership conducted and analyzed interviews with 35 senior level women leaders in higher education about their journey to the top and their experience of being a leader. Much of what we learned echoes themes consistent with multiple streams of research and reinforces that the experiences of women leaders are filled with trade-offs. In an era in which higher education needs a larger and more diverse cadre of leaders to face the challenges ahead, our findings indicate grounds for optimism and provide insight into how to better support women throughout their leadership journey.

In order to prepare women, and those supporting them in the journey to senior leadership, it is important to identify the barriers women leaders are likely to face so that these barriers can be anticipated,

reduced, and surmounted. It is equally critical to understand the sources of support, so that support can be sought and maximized. In some cases, seemingly small acts of encouragement were enough to spur women into higher levels of leadership. The Table below provides a list of the Barriers and Supports we identified from our interviews.

BARRIERS TO LEADERSHIP SUPPORTS TO LEADERSHIP

DifferentExpectationsforMenandWomenDiscouragement and SabotageLackofOpportunityandSupportNotHavingaLeadershipIdentity

Encouragement and SupportFormalDevelopmentExperiences

Having a Role ModelEarlyLeadershipExperiences

One often reads about the challenges and pressures senior leaders face, especially women leaders. There are undoubtedly negative aspects of being a senior leader. There are also many positive and

compelling aspects of the role. It is critical to help women develop systems and strategies to minimize or cope with the negative, while simultaneously understanding and embracing the positive aspects of these opportunities. The Table below provides a list of the Negative and Positive aspects of being in a senior leadership role identified from our interviews.

NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THE ROLE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THE ROLE

TimeDemandsoftheJobScrutinyandCriticism

PressureofUltimateAccountabilityIsolation

BroadScopeoftheJobNotFittingIn-NotBeingHeard

Making an ImpactPower, Authority, and Autonomy

Being a Role ModelBroadScopeoftheJobHavinganInfluence


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The women leaders we interviewed saw the impact that women at the top can make.

That experience motivated these leaders to work through the challenges they faced. Part of what made confronting barriers and negative aspects worth the effort was the importance of influencing change and making a difference. Women of color were even more likely to report contributing a vital, and often missing, voice in decision-making as a positive aspect of their leadership.

Yet, as one woman observed, higher education is increasingly “…more politicized and

personalized.” High visibility roles often bring women a distinctive and gendered version of criticism and scrutiny. For women of color, the criticism often had racial overtones as well. Expecting higher levels of criticism and scrutiny and having strategies for addressing and coping with it are critical for women leaders; as is questioning criticism and scrutiny that is rooted in and perpetuates negative stereotypes.

It is noteworthy that the percentage of women in top leadership roles decreases as the prestige

and resources of the institutional type increase. Personal choices cannot fully account for the steep slope from 33% women presidents at community colleges to 22% at doctoral institutions. Statistics illustrated in the infographic on page 5, taken from Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States 2013 (Colorado Women’s College, 2013), indicate that women’s entry into these academic leadership roles is already curbed through lower access to tenured faculty positions – 53% at community colleges and only 38% at doctoral universities.

Current presidents and chancellors, boards of trustees and higher education associations

have important roles to play in supporting more inclusive and effective leadership at senior levels. The need to develop and retain talented leaders from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives is not a women’s issue; it is an institutional imperative affecting everyone. Senior leadership that reflects only a narrow part of our population is not likely to yield the most beneficial results for our communities and industries.

A gathering of women presidents and chancellors and other women leaders in

higher education discussed the findings in this research report at the HERS Summit in Denver, April 10-12, 2014. They concluded that the time had come for collective effort to create a culture of advancement and ascent for women of all backgrounds. Their agenda of what aspiring women leaders can do, what institutional leaders can do, and what organizations and associations can do, is set out in the “Trail Guides” that conclude the report.


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, continued


8 © 2014 HERS – Higher Education Resource Services

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STORIES FROM THE SUMMIT TRAIL:LEADERSHIP JOURNEYS OF SENIOR WOMEN IN HIGHER EDUCATION


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OVERVIEW OF RESEARCHSeekingNewLeadersfortheNewTerrainofHigherEducation

Fundamental changes are underway in higher

education. Student enrollment is growing,

student demographics are increasingly more

diverse, and expectations for education have never

been higher. The cost of earning a degree is

increasing with new business models in

higher education shifting the cost from

societal responsibility to individual and family

responsibilities. The types of institutions offering

an advanced degree are changing (for example,

more for-profit as well as online institutions).

Technologies are changing what is taught as well as

how teaching and learning are accomplished.

While these many transitions are occurring,

higher education is also experiencing a

significant period of turn-over as an unusually

high number of presidents and chancellors are

reaching retirement. As institutions seek new

leaders, they must find individuals capable of

creating new visions for addressing these turbulent

times. Much research and practical experience

have shown that greater diversity in organizational

leadership provide broader perspective, increased

creativity, and enhanced performance (Joy,

Carter, Wagner, & Narayanan, 2007). This insight

is prompting many to look for ways to diversify

the cadre of presidents for higher education as

retirement openings are filled. These efforts,

however, will require significant changes from

the record of recruiting and selecting presidents

and chancellors over the past decade. The period

since 2006 has seen very small gains in the number

of women presidents and some decrease in the

number of ethnic minorities selected for these roles

(Cook & Kim, 2012). If higher education is to make

the critical transitions necessary for the future,

we must change our leadership development

practices.

This study, Stories from the Summit Trail: Leadership Journeys of Senior Women in Higher

Education, is our effort to contribute to new

practices for women of all backgrounds. The

research reported here was undertaken to

determine what lessons could be gained from

a diverse group of women leaders who have

achieved presidencies or who have moved into

roles from which they aspire to presidencies.

What were their experiences on the Summit trail

and how might other women be encouraged and

aided in negotiating this ascent? From systematic

interviews with thirty-five women leaders—

20 white women and 15 women of color—our

research reports on the barriers they experienced

or observed facing women in leadership roles,

as well as key sources of support to sustain

them and other women leaders. Their stories

reveal vividly what these women saw as both the

negative dimensions and positive rewards of their

lives as leaders—and why for almost all of those

interviewed, they chose to seek the leadership role

and to stay the course despite its demands. These

women are the sort of senior leaders needed now

to provide the creative solutions in this period of

transition. They are also valuable guides for those

we want to reach the leadership summit in the

decade ahead.


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Our research team conducted and analyzed interviews with 35 senior-level women in

higher education. Interviewees were identified by tapping into the professional networks of the Chancellor at a major Midwestern University and the Executive Director of a leadership development institute for women in higher education. A snowball sampling technique was used to identify additional women to be interviewed. All women were assured that the information they shared would be kept confidential. Interviews were conducted face-to-face whenever possible, but the majority of interviews were conducted over

the phone.

We made efforts to gather information from a diverse and representative sample within

this set of interviews. We made a special effort to interview women of color in order to gather sufficient data to determine if white women and women of color have different experiences or perspectives related to senior leadership roles and what it takes to reach that level. Twenty of the interviewees were Caucasian; with the remaining 15 interviewees identifying as African American (9), Latina (1), Native American (2), Latina & Native American (1) or Other (2). An Asian/Pacific Islander president was interviewed following the initial interviews and data analysis. Her perspectives are incorporated in examples but not in the

statistical data.

Another important element for the sample was collecting responses from women who were

at the level of President, Chancellor or System Head and from women in other senior roles,

generally in the presidential cabinet level. In terms of their organizational level, 15 were Presidents/Chancellors (two being emeritae), 10 were Vice Presidents/Vice Chancellors, five were Provosts, with the remaining five falling into other senior leadership roles, such as Dean of Faculty, Chief Diversity Officer or Treasurer etc. We also made an effort to interview women who led in different academic settings. Fourteen participants were employed by Public Universities, with the remaining women representing a variety of institution types including Private Liberal Arts Colleges, Community Colleges, Private Universities, Tribal, Technical, Public, and Private Colleges, an Arts College, or a Board of Regents. Additional information about the demographics of the sample group, as well as our interview protocol, is provided in the appendices.

Four members of the research team read all the interview summaries and proposed

and discussed themes from interviews; 15 themes emerged for coding. Other researchers systematically and independently reviewed interviews to identify passages of text related to the 15 identified themes. From this coding we identified themes to pursue based partly on the level of inter-rater agreement, but also on the desire to provide a balanced overview by focusing on the dichotomies of positive and negative stories that emerged. With this approach in mind we report on two sets of overarching themes: Barriers to Leadership and Supports for Leadership; Negative Aspects of Being in a Leadership Role and

Positive Aspects of Being in Leadership Role.


CollectingStoriesfromtheSummitTrail


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Our analysis then focused on these two sets of

trade-offs. The first set of themes examines

the barriers to and supports for leadership roles.

The women we interviewed shared stories about

experiences that provided them with support on

their leadership journey as well as stories of the

barriers or roadblocks they faced along the way.

The second set of themes focused on the negative

and positive aspects of being in a senior leadership

role within higher education. Interviewees were

asked, and shared examples, about the advantages

and disadvantages of being a senior leader.

We then coded responses into sub-themes to

better illustrate the positive and negative aspects of

being in a leadership role. While in some ways the

theme of “balancing trade-offs” would appear to be

well covered in the literature related to women’s

leadership, most such discussions focus on the

negative impact of dealing with choices. Emerging

women leaders very much need more reports

describing the satisfactions of exercising senior

leadership and the positive results of withstanding

the frequently described challenges (White, 2012).

We then examined the relationship between

the categories within each thematic area

and the racial categorization of the women in our

sample. This is not to suggest that either white

women or women of color are homogenous

groupings, but rather to determine albeit at a crude

level, if women of color and white women have

different experiences and perspectives of their


PreparingfortheChallengesandSavoringtheAccomplishments

leadership journey. Within this set of interviewees,

we found three areas with statistically significant

differences between white women and women

of color. They are the Barriers of Scrutiny and

Criticism and Lack of Opportunity and Support,

and the Positive Aspect of Leadership related

to Having an Influence. In all cases women of

color reported higher rates of experience with

the category as compared to white women.

Interestingly while women of color were more

heavily represented in the non-president group,

we found no statistically significant difference

when we analyzed the groups by positional level.

Acknowledging that our sample did not allow for

a deep level of analysis across different ethnic

and racial groups, these analyses still confirm

a core finding of previous research about the

intersectionality of race and gender. Frequently

women of color and white women may be

encountering the “same things” and also be

experiencing the impacts differently (Edmundson,

Bell , & Nkomo, 2001). Attention to these

distinctions is needed to increase the number

of women from a diverse range of backgrounds

bringing their skil ls and perspectives to

top posit ions.


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CreatingNewTrailGuides

We set out to learn from women at the most

senior levels of institutions of higher

education what their journey to the top was like

and about their experience of being a leader in

higher education today. Much of what we learned

echoes themes consistent with multiple streams of

research to reinforce that women continue to face

gendered challenges on their leadership journey

and give voice to stories that are both uplifting

and disheartening. Their reflections provide

guidance—and ultimately inspiration—for women

who undertake the stresses and opportunities of

higher education leadership today. The picture

that emerges from their interviews is challenging,

realistic, and finally affirming. For women and

men who share the mission of diversifying higher

education leadership at this time of historic

change, their lessons are indispensable. Shared

with women presidents and chancellors gathered

in Denver in April 2014, the research findings

prompted a conversation that concluded the

time had come for a collective effort to create a

culture of advancement and ascent for women

of all backgrounds. That agenda of what aspiring

women leaders can do, what institutional leaders

can do, and what organizations and associations

can do, is set out in the “Trail Guides” that conclude

this report.


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BARRIERS TO LEADERSHIP ROLES

Four barriers to leadership roles emerged as sub-themes: Different Expectations for Men and Women,

Discouragement and Sabotage, Lack of Opportunity and Support, and Not Having a Leadership Identity.

The top two barriers mentioned (by 21 interviewees in both cases) were Different Expectations for Men

and Women and Discouragement and Sabotage. While the same number of interviewees shared stories of

these two barriers, far more passages were coded concerning Different Expectations for Men and Women.

It was mentioned more than twice as often as any other barrier category.


Different Expecta�ons for Men and Women

Discouragement and Sabotage

Lack of Opportunity and Support

Not Having a Leadership Iden�ty

Number of Women Men�oning the Type of Barrier Listed

0 5 10 15 20 25

21

21

18

16



Lack of Oppoturnity and Support


Number of Passages Coded as the Barrier Listed

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

68

33

30

22


Number of Women (by race) Men�oning Barrier Listed









Percentage of Women (by race) Men�oning Barrier Listed65%

53%

55% 67%

45% 47%

35% 73%

0 3 6 9 12 15

13 8

11 10

9

7

7 11









White (N=20) Women of Color (N=15)

Presidents/Chancellors (N=15) Others (N=20)



Percentage of Women (by level) Men�oning Barrier Listed67%

55%

60% 60%

53% 50%

47% 45%

Number of Women (by level) Men�oning Barrier Listed

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

10 11

9 12

8

10

7 9

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

“I think as a woman if you have a strong voice and you have a strong opinion, you’re questioned. And if it’s a man doing that, they have the floor and it’s okay.”

“I think men get away with not-very-collegial behavior without paying as high a price as women pay.”

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Different Expectations for Men and Women

The most frequent barrier mentioned was the continuing experience of Different

Expectations for Men and Women seeking the highest levels of leadership roles. The expectations and standards referenced in the interviews were at times held by the women themselves, in other cases were held by other individuals or were perceived as being general social norms. One such norm was the sense that women did not match the traditional standard of “being presidential.” Interviewees told of being tested by colleagues or direct reports while men were assumed to be competent. There appears to be an underlying expectation that women will be passive and follow orders whereas men might challenge those orders. Some of the women in the study were especially aware that their abilities related to finances, facilities, and athletics were questioned, while men with similar backgrounds were presumed qualified in these areas. Women spoke about not pursuing leadership positions because they saw other women leaders being criticized in ways that would have been less likely for a man. Because of the perception that women do not fit the leadership mold or will not be able to do the job, women reported having to work harder and do better in order to be seen as a leader and to get promoted.

Many women spoke about the experiences of being questioned about whether they

would be able to do the job well considering that they are also mothers. It is no surprise that women in our society are often still expected to carry out most of the care giving roles, but it was surprising that so many women felt the pressure to not pursue a leadership role because of the concerns of what it would do to the family dynamic. It was clear that these women felt that they were being held to a different standard than many of their male colleagues.

I remember when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister of England. The story was there was a little boy who was asked what he wanted to do when he grew up. Would he want to be the prime minister? His response was, ‘No, that’s a woman’s job.’

It’s harder because, again, of the social norms, the expectation that women need to be there for their children. Men need to be there, too, but a man who has a job where he has to travel a lot, has less of an impact than a woman who has a job where she has to travel a lot.”

After she left, you did hear, ’Well, she was a woman.’ You do hear that. ’We tried a woman once that didn’t work out,’ that kind of thing. That, I think, is still on the tips of people’s tongues when women fail... Women are expected to be nicer, smile-ier, more nurturing, etc. etc.


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Discouragement and Sabotage was a theme

that i l lustrated visible unsupportive

tendencies from people in these women’s lives.

These types of barriers were both subtle as well

as direct discouraging comments from family

members, colleagues, bosses, and others. While

some comments seemed to be well intentioned,

they often times still served to dissuade women

from taking on a leadership role because

“once people get discouraged... they don’t

come back for a long time.” Behaviors included

examples of not providing a reference or

support when asked, because leadership

opportunities were seen as a waste of time

(e.g. You should be happy in your current role,

there’s no reason to be ambitious). In some

cases, efforts to sabotage the woman’s career

were mentioned. Stories of sabotage included

immediate bosses who tried to keep women

from leaving (outright discouragement) or

providing marginal references because the

boss needed the skills of the woman, colleagues

criticizing the woman to donors or trustees,

and not being given important facts from peers

when in difficult decision making circumstances.

The person that discouraged me was, like I said, an executive recruiter, who said, ‘Well, I don’t know. You haven’t come up to the Provost rank. You haven’t come through the academic side of the house. Do you have publications? Oh, that’s going to be a hard push for you.’ Then my little balloon was deflated.”

“She was fired for no reason and it was very visible. She had the resiliency to continue and to pick herself up. I think that happens all the time.”

I’ve had push back because of my gender and people very blatantly would say to me, either, ‘An African American can’t lead me. What do you know? Why are you here?’ Or, ‘You’re only here because of affirmative action.’ ”

“This was before I became a dean and she was my dean – it was a woman, and I went to her because I wanted to apply for a deanship. And she said, ‘Oh, you will not do well as that. You should not apply for that.’”


18


While the reports of Discouragement and Sabotage were about direct actions that

served as barriers, the passages associated with Lack of Opportunity and Support included descriptions of passive behaviors that got in the way of women moving into, or advancing in, leadership roles. Women of color were statistically significantly more likely to describe lack of opportunity and support than were white women. Stories associated with this code were about women working hard and doing very well, but not being offered or asked to apply for leadership roles. Stories also described men being well networked which afforded access to opportunities, or men being assumed to be ready to move into a leadership role while a woman who was just as qualified, was often overlooked. Some of the stories we gleaned from the interviews reinforce that there remains an assumption that men will advance into leadership roles and that women will not—either because they would not fit or because there is a sense that women are not ambitious and therefore would have no interest in leadership roles. Regardless of the underlying reasons, the result appears to be that women are still not seen as—or supported in becoming—senior level leaders.

Not Having a Leadership Identity

Not Having a Leadership Identity focuses on stories of women limiting themselves

because they do not see the possibility of being in leadership roles or do not see the possibility of being a leader without adopting a personal style that is not authentic for them. Passages included references of self-doubt or holding oneself back. Not seeing women in leadership roles was enough to make women pause, either because it gave the impression that either the role was not available to them or created doubt about whether a woman could perform in the role.

And then I think that the same opportunities are not there or presented to women as often as they may be presented to men. And there exists, sometimes overt, sometimes subtle, discrimination, I think, in the job market.”

“I did, sometimes, feel that opportunities were not provided or embraced because of being a woman – because of a vision that, you know, women – you can be an associate dean, but you can’t really be a dean. Or, you can be a VP but a presidency is just not, you know, what women should be in.”

So I think in your own mind, you can be limited in what you think is possible if you don’t see role models or see people that look like you in those positions.”

“I think it’s our nature to doubt ourselves. And so I think a large percentage of it is us doubting our own capabilities. I’m not saying there are not ceilings, but sometimes we don’t get in the game to know if there is a ceiling.”


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SUPPORTS FOR LEADERSHIP ROLES

Four themes emerged from the interviews relating to the types of support these women received

throughout their careers: Encouragement and Support, Formal Development Experiences,

Having a Role Model, and Early Leadership Experiences. The most frequently coded sub-category

was Encouragement and Support with 67 occurrences. Fourteen participants, over 40%, mentioned

the importance of receiving support and encouragement from mentors and their networks, while over

25% of women leaders discussed the positive impact of going through a formal development program.


Number of Women Men�oning Support Listed

Number of Passages Coded as the Support Listed

Encouragement and Support

Formal Development Experiences

Having a Role Model

Early Leadership Experiences



Having a Role Model


0 3 6 9 12 15

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80


Number of Women (by race) Men�oning Support Listed

Percentage of Women (by race) Men�oning Support Listed





Having a Role Model




Having a Role Model


0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Number of Women (by level) Men�oning Support Listed

Percentage of Women (by level) Men�oning Support Listed




Having a Role Model




Having a Role Model


0 10 20 30 40 50

0 2 4 6 8 10

0 10 20 30 40 50


21


Being the largest category in the general

support category with 67 occurrences,

this category includes discussion of support

or encouragement received from others in

the beginning or during their career. This

can include support or encouragement from

family members, colleagues, bosses or anyone

that believed in them or helped them achieve

something greater. Naturally, mentorship was

a large component of this category and there

were many stories of someone encouraging,

nominating, or coaching these women through

something that they might not have attempted

on their own. This sub-theme also referenced

networks that these women had and were able

to go to for advice and support.

Formal Development Experience

Roughly a third of the women (11) mentioned

a Formal Development Experience that

shaped who they are today. The experience of

the program itself and the content of the program

helped define success, ability, and confidence

for many of these women.

He kind of said, ‘What do you mean, you don’t know if you can do this kind of job? Look what you’ve done. Da, da, da.’ So that was my first experience of having a mentor. It was a very important experience.”

“But, actually, for me, I think the most helpful are the small networks. Because, as you know, you can‘t talk to anyone on your campus. So I have four other people that I call regularly for advice and to be able to vent.”

Then, after working with him for a short period of time, he basically came to me and said, I think that you should start applying for Deanships. You’re clearly ready. This is clearly where your talents lie.”

I really, really think that the experience I had with HERS was very key in helping me to move forward in obtaining my dean’s position as well as this position. Because it really helped me to understand my skill set, it helped me to understand what I could bring to the table. It helped me to understand how to navigate difficult situations.”

“I went to a female leadership institute called Kaleidoscope – it’s in California. And it was absolutely wonderful. I did that right after I became a dean and it really helped me to reinforce the things that I did well and to really work on the areas that I needed to work on and improve upon.”


22

Having a Role Model

Five women we interviewed mentioned

having a person or event in their lives whom

she learned from by observing. These could

be positive or negative experiences that these

women observed, often times learning what

not to do based on observing others and

learning the lessons before making the mistake

themselves. On the other hand, Having a Role

Model who displayed the possibilities of success

and who achieved success regardless of the

barriers, demonstrated to these women that it

is possible for them as well. Having role models

and being able to learn from the experiences of

others was often a turning point that showed

these women how to treat, or not treat, others

and how to create the career they wanted for

themselves.

So they did these things called fireside chats, where you actually got to see and hear through the personal side of the presidents’ lives. And that was really, very important to me. Because, at the time, I had babies and seeing these women who had children, had husbands, had families, and who were still able to be accomplished presidents. I don’t think I realized at the time how critically important that was for me to be able to see that.”

“I think it is amazing to see what people do unconsciously and to be able to learn those lessons before you do them yourself. It’s a good thing.”

And when I was coming through fortunately I saw people like me that were doing the kinds of things that I thought I could do and so that was very, very helpful to me.”


23


T hree women we interviewed shared stories

of experiences that happened while

growing up or before entering into a formal

leadership role that taught them about

leadership at a very young age. These early

experiences such as student council or board

experience, having to play a parent role while

still a child, or having teachers or professors

who encouraged leadership early, gave these

women the confidence they could succeed

at the next challenge. If it had not been for

these Early Leadership Experiences or early

encouragements, these women claim that they

might not have had the confidence to pursue

such great heights.

I started off in a leadership role at the age of 9 so, … So it wasn’t new for me. It was the way that I operated, the way that I chose to look at life. And I think that came directly from the kind of teachers that I had in grade school.”

“It goes back to – I can definitely think of my 5th grade teacher who happened to be female and she was very, very encouraging for me to take the lead in different things, to demonstrate leadership. Also, my 7th and 8th grade teacher was the same and that happened to be a male. He was very encouraging and inspiring and who always pushed me to the forefront. I think that was sort of the framework of really how I looked at leadership. I didn’t look at it as something that I needed to think about. It was just something – that’s the way I was supposed to do things.”


24

NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF BEING IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE

The discussion of negative aspects associated with taking on a leadership role revealed six general

themes: Time Demands of the Job, Scrutiny and Criticism, Pressure of Ultimate Accountability,

Broad Scope of the Job, Isolation, and Not Fitting In-Not Being Heard. Notably, pressures associated with

the intense time demands of the leadership role were mentioned by 45% percent of the participants

interviewed, and accounted for 18% of the total references coded in this category. Forty percent of women

interviewed mentioned being singled out for criticism or being the target of intense scrutiny as being a

negative aspect of their leadership role and, though mentioned by fewer participants, references coded

in this sub-category accounted for well over a quarter (27%) of the total. Women of color were even more

likely than white women to note the experience of Scrutiny and Criticism. Eleven women discussed

challenges related to the Broad Scope of the Job, Isolation, or managing the Pressure of Ultimate

Accountability, with references coded into those categories representing 12%, 14%, and 18% of total

references respectively. The challenge of Not Fitting In - Not Being Heard was discussed by 9 women

interviewed, a quarter of total participants, but only represented 9% of total references. While the

difference in proportion of respondents by race was not statistically significant, it is still important to

note that women of color mentioned this negative aspect of being in a leadership role more so than white

women did.


Number of Women Men�oning the Nega�ve Aspect Listed

Number of Passages Coded as the Nega�ve Aspect Listed

Time Demands of the Job

Scru�ny and Cri�cism

Pressure of Ul�mate Accountability

Isola�on

Broad Scope of the Job

Not Fi�ng In - Not Being Heard




Isola�on



0 5 10 15 20

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35


Number of Women (by race) Men�oning the Nega�ve Aspect Listed

Percentage of Women (by race) Men�oning the Nega�ve Aspect Listed



Number of Women (by level) Men�oning the Nega�ve Aspect Listed

Percentage of Women (by level) Men�oning the Nega�ve Aspect Listed






Isola�on






Isola�on






Isola�on






Isola�on



0 2 4 6 8 10 12

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

0 2 4 6 8 10

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

26


Nearly half of the women interviewed (16)

cited managing the long hours of the job

and the stress of the time needed to manage

multiple roles as negative aspects of their role.

While these pressures are surely part of the

position for male presidents, the discussion

of the Time Demands of the Job highlighted

another way in which expectations are often

different for women and men. Many women

recognized that female presidents tend to

have to play more roles than male presidents.

If children are involved, the care giving role falls

to the mother more often than not. On the other

hand, male partners of women presidents may

be less accepted as proxies for them in campus

roles than wives of male presidents. This feeling

of always being “on,” the culmination of extra

roles, familial pressures, and a lack of personal

time encapsulate the most common time

demands and work-life balance challenges

facing women in higher education.

These top positions are just exhausting; you have to be prepared for that.”

“There is no division between me and my work. I am my work. My work is me. I don’t have a separate life, really. And I’m okay with that. I’m always on. If I’m in the community, even if it’s Saturday and I’m going down to the coffee shop. I know I’m still a Provost and I have to, you know, be that person.”

When you – the other women that I know who are presidents or who have been presidents of institutions – and I asked them about their husbands’ participation, they will say, ‘My husband did very little. He might have come to one or two events in the year.’ Where men I’ve talked to - their wives are expected to be, in a sense, at every event right at their side, actually, how would you say, socializing and soliciting, almost, in a way.”


27

Scrutiny and Criticism

The second most commonly shared negative

aspect facing senior women leaders in

higher education is the inescapable spotlight

in which they face Scrutiny and Criticism.

Some interviewees felt they were being

perpetually watched and targeted for criticism,

often in quite personal forms. Other women

we interviewed stated that they feel people are

incessantly watching in anticipation that they

will inevitably fail. This causes a situation where

women regularly have not only their decisions

but also their credentials and experience

questioned. Moreover, the women felt when

they were criticized they had to address the

criticism in a way that a male would not. As

a result, these leaders frequently stated the

need to “toughen up” in order to be credible.

However, in toughening up, they were also open

to other forms of criticism such as being too

tough or heartless. It is important to note that

women of color reported Scrutiny and Criticism

at a statistically significant level more often than

their white female counterparts.

I think part of what I’ve found sometimes, and it could be from women colleagues as well as men, you feel that by becoming successful there were a lot of people that were envious of that and they were sort of watching out for you to make a mistake to – I think that’s even more so for women of color.”

“Because you put yourself out there for criticism. And you have to know that everybody is not going to like you. And not only, with women, are they going to attack your leadership style but they’re going to talk about what you wear. They’re going to talk about if you’re looking tired, your hair color.”


28

Pressure of Ultimate Accountability

Being at the highest level of decision making

and thereby facing the Pressure of Ultimate

Accountability for difficult choices is an issue

that nearly a third of our sample experienced as

a negative aspect of being in a leadership role.

The 11 women who discussed this issue often

cited the pressure of having to make the “final

say” and being accountable for everything

within an institution, as a negative aspect of

the job. Especially during this period of

more limited financial resources, difficult

decisions can include responsibility for both

immediate funds and long entrusted assets of

their institution. The women in the interviews

also referenced occurrences of having to take

responsibility for an outcome or mistake even

if they were not directly responsible or even

aware of the matter.

When the bad things happen, you’re right there in the thick of things and you have to make some tough, tough decisions and that’s always difficult. Especially when it impacts peoples’ livelihood or their sense of worth. Those are tough days.”

“And just the real stresses – when you realize that if there’s a murder on your campus, you’re the one who deals with it. If there is some protest by students or faculty or the community about something you’re always in the paper – on the front line. And, the old joke about what is difference between a chancellor and a chancellor emeritus – well, the chancellor emeritus doesn’t mind opening the paper in the morning.”


29

Isolation

A negative challenge that faces senior women

in higher education is Isolation, generally

described as a reduction or lack of contact with

social and professional networks. This is partly

because there are few women in top leadership

roles, but also because of the nature of the role.

Interviewees cited either a lack of or drastically

reduced amount of interaction with students.

Colleagues sometimes viewed their decision

to seek and accept senior administrative roles

in higher education as going to the “dark side”;

therefore these women shared that relationships

suffer once attaining their position because they

were no longer welcome in familiar peer groups.

Relatedly, the interviewees said it is a challenge

to form new relationships or spend time with

people because it could be seen as inappropriate

or playing favorites. Furthermore, the inability

to share information because it is confidential

leaves women leaders feeling isolated. Finally,

the sentiment of feeling “lonely at the top” is

often compounded by others’ lack of trust in

those occupying top positions.

And I have found in my time here that it’s just very difficult to forge genuine relationships because I find that, I mean I collaborate with a lot of people, and I get along with a lot of people, but … my genuine friendships are not here. It’s too hard to have a genuine reciprocal friendship because people usually want something.”

“Well, there are many. You know, it’s true what they say. It gets lonelier at the top. I think the circle of people that you actually, how can I say, can bond with and connect with starts to shrink.”


30


The Broad Scope of the Job was mentioned

as a negative aspect, particularly in terms

of the stress and pressure of having multiple,

and sometimes competing, roles within

the institution. Additionally, the stress is

compounded by having to balance the range of

accountabilities that comes with top leadership

roles. It should be noted the broad scope of

the job also was mentioned as a positive with

varied experiences and perspectives providing

development and enjoyment. A frequent

response from the women we interviewed was

the inability to focus because of the constant

juggling of multiple roles within the institution.

Not only do these women have pressure to study

and stay up-to-date on a variety of areas so they

can speak to them as needed, they also feel

responsible for understanding and representing

everyone’s voice (students, staff, community,

etc.). There is pressure to connect with people

in a way that keeps them happy and healthy.

Our interviewees also shared the challenge of

“continually” being pulled in different directions

by groups with differing goals. Dealing with

both petty and critical issues occurred almost

simultaneously. Learning how to manage these

“pulls” effectively and appropriately also is part

of the challenges women in higher education

face. While men presidents also must handle

multiple roles, women face the added pressure

of more intense scrutiny and criticism as they

address conflicts among various constituencies.

Having to shift your mindset…this morning you are talking to IT people, and then someone from finance comes in and then someone from the community comes in and each time it’s a shift of conversation, a shift of knowledge that I have to have in order to be able to ask the right questions.”

“One of the other disadvantages is trying to be all things to all people – and that your constituents are not just your faculty, you’re also responsible to the students, I’m responsible to my board of trustees, I’m responsible to the community.”


31

Not Fitting In - Not Being Heard

Not Fitting In - Not Being Heard is a negative

challenge facing women in higher

education. Women often cited they are missing

out on opportunities because they aren’t

naturally part of the “good ol’ boys” network.

This situation not only causes a feeling of not

fitting in but creates a circumstance of missing

out on decisions that have been made without

the woman because she physically wasn’t there

when the decision was made. By the same token,

women are not feeling heard. A commonly

shared occurrence from the interviewees was

the sentiment that a woman can say something,

but until a man says it, it isn’t noted or

considered a good idea. Even with a chair and a

voice at the table, women in higher education—

women of color in particular—still feel ignored.

“You can bring your voice to the table... The disadvantage is your voice may or may not be heard because there are other, stronger, male connections and voices at the table.”

There’s still that good-old-boy situation where you can see where there are other meetings that are going on, but you’re not invited to that one. You see them all walk out of the room and they come in and then they make a statement. Wait a minute. Time out. When did that decision get made? Let’s talk about that one. But you already know that the decision has been made.”

I was at a meeting – a month and a half ago – and I made a suggestion for how the group ought to go a certain kind of way. About two minutes later, a man – white man – said – sort of referencing what I had said – supporting what I had said. A third guy commented and then said, ’You know, I totally agree with the man.’ It was as if nobody had heard me.”


32

POSITIVE ASPECTS OF BEING IN A LEADERSHIP ROLE

Our analysis showed that our interview participants generally identified five key positive aspects

associated with their leadership positions: Making an Impact; Power, Authority and Autonomy;

Being a Role Model; Broad Scope of the Job; and Having an Influence. Making an Impact and exercising

Power, Authority, and Autonomy were the primary sub-categories that emerged. Eighty percent of

interviewees (28) identified their ability to make an impact or create positive change through their

leadership role as a positive aspect of their position, and references to this positive aspect accounted for

over half (53%) of the total number of codes in this category; over twice as many as the second most

frequently mentioned aspect Power, Authority, and Autonomy. In fact, Making an Impact was the most

frequently discussed category for all of the interviewees—eclipsing all other negative or positive categories.


Number of Women Men�oning the Posi�ve Aspect Listed

Number of Passages Coded as the Posi�ve Aspect Listed

Making an Impact

Power, Authority, and Autonomy

Being a Role Model


Having an Influence

Making an Impact

Being a Role Model


Having an Influence


0 5 10 15 20 25 30

0 10 20 30 40 50


Number of Women (by race) Men�oning the Posi�ve Aspect Listed



Number of Women (by level) Men�oning the Posi�ve Aspect Listed

Percentage of Women (by level) Men�oning the Posi�ve Aspect Listed



Making an Impact



Being a Role Model

Having an Influence

Making an Impact



Being a Role Model

Having an Influence

Making an Impact



Being a Role Model

Having an Influence

Making an Impact



Being a Role Model

Having an Influence

0 3 6 9 12 15

Percentage of Women (by race) Men�oning the Posi�ve Aspect Listed

0 20 40 60 80 100

0 3 6 9 12 15

0 20 40 60 80 100

34

Making an Impact

A large percentage of these senior women,

80% of the interviewees, reported that

Making an Impact in some fashion or being able

to create positive change was the most positive

aspect of being in a leadership role. Making an

Impact can include changing someone’s path

for the better by opening doors and helping

them through the journey. Encouraging faculty

members and students, engaging in discussions

about higher education policy, and starting or

changing initiatives at the institutional level all

are examples of how they were able to make

a difference and create change. Repeatedly

these women spoke about how terrific it felt

to empower and educate students, faculty,

and board members; to build connections or

opportunities for others; and then to see the

fruits of those opportunities in terms of real and

lasting change.

“The ability to be creative and to innovate and then on the flip side to be able to see the impact that it has and say, Okay, I did this the right way. This is what I should have done.”

After I got into administration, I realized that I was getting more enjoyment out of supporting junior faculty in my department and watching them achieve than sitting in my office writing the next book.”

I think in all of my leadership roles, one of the things that I embraced was the notion of being an agent of change – trying to make things – improve things – make them better for the WHOLE INSTITUTION – which, then, of course – affects your faculty, and your staff, and your students.”


35


Interviewees mentioned benefits associated

with having a clear and formal role and the

authority that comes with a senior leadership

position. The clarity of the role allowed these

women to have the sufficient power to make

and execute decisions. Most of these women

made the transition from an informal role

to a formal one and noted the difference of

others’ behaviors towards them after the

transition. Some of the women we interviewed,

particularly those in the senior-most roles,

mentioned that as a senior leader they were

not ignored as much or questioned as often

and that was seen as a huge advantage. Also

included in this category were those instances

where the leader spoke about the advantage

of being in a role that provided significant

influence, both personal and formal.

“There is a very clear level of authority that I have here. So it’s that type of thing. It’s power. And it takes some things off the table for negotiation.”

People know your role and there is some history to it. It is more than personal influence. There is also a formal acknowledgment that people have entrusted certain types of responsibilities to you. So that part just isn’t questioned.”

At one o’clock today I am going to the physical plant employees and I know they’re working hard and I know we can’t increase their salaries. But, I can give them some paid time off to reward them for their hard work. I can do that with the stroke of a – you know, waving a magic wand. And, nobody else can do that. I can make things right.”


36

Being a Role Model

Ten women in our sample expressed how

crucial it was for them to be a mentor

to other women who were interested in

coming into higher education or who were

trying to advance. By reflecting on their own

experiences, many women felt that it was their

responsibility to support other women along

their journey in order to encourage them

to move into higher education leadership.

Part of Being a Role Model or supporting

others is making sure protégés don’t feel

discriminated against or ensuring that certain

stereotypes don’t keep them from advancing.

These women nurtured budding leaders

and provided them with opportunities, such

as recommending them for a position, or

providing personal and professional support or

mentorship. These women leaders recognized

the importance of educating others and

building connections and networks for them

in order for more doors to be opened.

“And they still say they wouldn’t have applied for this job if I hadn’t been in this place. Some of the female deans I’ve hired have said, ‘I wouldn’t have considered this job except that you were the Provost.’ It isn’t me personally. It is the idea of a woman being able to have a position of authority and success.”

I remember there being a woman sitting in the front row who was from a historically black college and she looked at me and she said ‘How the hell do you have your job with all that baggage?’ That was a teachable moment because it was important for her to understand that I was a black gay woman and I was still successful. Do you know what I mean? But she had to see that it was possible. And so, we have to be willing to share all examples of what we’re doing and how we’re doing it so other people just know it is possible.”


37


Among the 35 women interviewed, 10

referenced the positive aspects of the

Broad Scope of the Job. They noted the unique

opportunities that arise as part of being in the

role of a senior leader that wouldn’t otherwise

happen if it were not for the title and position.

Being in a senior role afforded these leaders

connections to a broad range of people,

groups, or information which allowed them

to be able to see a clearer big picture. Working

with the community, speaking at conferences,

and interacting and learning from people

like the Dalai Lama were just a few of the

positive opportunities these women leaders

experienced. It is important to remember that

Broad Scope of the Job also was viewed by

some as a negative, often linked to conflicts

among some of the broad constituencies that

presidents encounter.

“Plus, you’re able to meet people. You get more experiences. So that you’re more well-rounded – that you can see things from a different perspective also, that you’re never going to see.”

Being able to make the connections, you know, beyond the university, with the community – because you’re in a position like this, you have opportunities to make connections and be involved in things that you wouldn’t ever have that opportunity – just by virtue of your position.”

Opportunities to learn about other cultures and other ways of – other educational systems. As a provost, I can travel to other countries and study other educational systems, other styles of leadership.”


38

Having an Influence

Having an Influence as part of their senior

leadership role was mentioned more by

women of color interviewees than by white

women interviewees. This difference was

statistically significantly. Having an Influence

is different from the category of Making an

Impact, because this aspect was specifically

related to involvement in, and engagement

with, the decision making processes within

their institutions. These leaders talked about

the advantage of having a voice at the table

and being able to represent viewpoints,

constituencies or populations at the highest

levels in situations where those perspectives

are not always present or considered. These

women spoke of how liberating it was to be

involved in areas of governance from which

they were previously excluded. Having the

ability to be the voice for those who cannot

speak in order to help create change was

described as a great benefit.

“So I think senior leadership role – you’re able to bring other women, other minorities up with you. That you’re able to speak for those that are in the LGBT committee. You’re able to put things in front that I don’t think I ever had the opportunity to do before. So I think that’s a real benefit.”

I ’m at the table. I’m hearing what’s going on throughout the whole university and therefore can be a much better strategic thinker and planner and work with the teams that I’m assigned to much more effectively because I’m hearing all this other conversation and I can see the big picture very clearly because I’m there.”

I think the advantage of being in leadership is that you bring a different perspective and that you help those that are there to see that it doesn’t need to be the way it is. That it needs to change.”


39

When we asked the women in our research

if they had any advice about or for women

leaders in higher education, common themes

emerged. Nearly every woman interviewed

mentioned the importance of connecting and

collaborating with others. Connecting and

collaborating not only expand knowledge,

but also create allies and sponsors. Thinking

and working strategically to create a cabinet

of mentors and advisors also was mentioned.

It is important for emerging women leaders

to choose mentors from multiple walks of life.

Having mentors who are women is beneficial

because they understand the journey, but having

a male as a sounding board as well as someone

younger, older or of a different race or ethnicity

can provide women with multiple and diverse

perspectives to understand bigger pictures and

identify opportunities and connections. As one

woman advised, “So you have to be political,

you’ve got to be strategic. You’ve got to see the

steps. You can’t be surprised, you can’t be naïve,

but you have to be motivated by the right values.”

Women also need sponsors – people in powerful

positions who can help women navigate into

senior roles. Women cannot stop there however;

they must realize that for real change to occur,

they must pay it forward by mentoring and

sponsoring women and men; creating networks,

establishing allies, and educating the next

generation to bring positive change.

Other contributors suggested teaching

women to get outside their comfort zone

and be seen as willing to stretch themselves

by asking questions and learning new things.

Getting out of one’s comfort zone can mean

women need to promote and advocate

I really worry about what we’re not doing to educate the next generation. And I think just continuing to grind away at those questions of well, how many women do you have in the pool…and just all those kinds of things that helped in the last 20 or 30 years to move women forward. I think we have to re-start all of those things again and just sort of bombard them with that.”

ADVICE FROM THE SUMMIT TRAIL

for themselves by asking for help or asking

for opportunities. By stepping out of what is

comfortable, women are creating opportunities

to achieve in arenas that would not have occurred

had they not moved forward. Early and diverse

leadership experiences can build and shape one’s

leadership and help women be seen as leaders.

Women need to question whether they

should opt out of opportunities because

they fear they cannot put their mark on the role.

One interviewee suggested, “It won’t ever change

until more of us have the opportunity to put our spin

on it. And that’s what I would encourage people to do

– to look at every opportunity to prepare yourself to

be a leader and try to be as flexible as you possibly

can without compromising who you are at the core.”

Women need to get into these positions in order

to change how these positions expect women to be;

if women are thinking too narrowly then change

will not happen.

Another important aspect of being narrowly

focused is not realizing when it is time to move

on and do something else. Women often settle in a

role rather than strategizing on ways to make their


40

ultimate goals happen. One woman spoke

about how some women seem to believe they

need something extra, special or “magic” to

get to the next level. Often women need to be

affirmed by others before they believe they can

take the next career step. Men on the other

hand, tend to take the chance and go for it.

The need for resiliency was the last common

theme that emerged out of advice from

these 35 top women leaders. These leaders

mentioned how women, in general, tend to be

too hard on themselves and often internalize

what others might say or do and become

“personally wounded.” As this report has

identified, there are people and events that

can create fear and doubt along a woman’s

leadership journey in higher education.

According to the women interviewed, women

need to display self-knowledge, maturity, and

resilience if they want to be successful and

effective. In sum our study participants agreed

support or lack thereof can make or break a

woman’s decision to become a senior leader

(Young & McLeod, 2001).

While a lot of the advice was focused on

the individual level, the women we

interviewed also mentioned the importance

of collective action in order to change

policies, systems, and social norms that were

perpetuating the current situation.

Clearing Trails and Creating Guides

We shared the ideas in this report with

participants at the 2014 HERS Summit

For Women Presidents & Chancellors in

Higher Education held in Denver, Colorado.

We wanted to engage another group of top

leaders in conversation about what should be

done to advance women to leadership in higher

education. Below is a summary of the ideas that

emerged from that conversation. The suggestion

that resonated most with us was the suggestion of

collectively creating a culture of advancement for

women. With that in mind we have organized the

suggested next steps into three categories: what

aspiring women leaders can do, what institutional

leaders can do, and what associations and

organizations can do.


41

What Aspiring Women Leaders Can Do

•Seekoutleadershippositionsasearlyinyourcareeraspossible.•Thinkaboutyourselfandtalkaboutyourselfasaleader.•Talktoavarietyofleadersaboutthechallengestheyfaceandhowtheyaddressthem.•Talktoavarietyofleadersaboutwhattheyenjoyaboutbeinginaleadershiprole.•Seekoutandparticipateinleadershipdevelopmentopportunities.•Asktobenominatedorconsideredforpositionsthathelpdevelopthebroadskillsetneededfor leadershiproles,suchasbudgetcommitteesandplanningtaskforces.

What Institutional Leaders Can Do

•Nominatewomenforleadershippositions.•Encouragewomentoseekleadershippositions.•Suggestwomenforaccreditationteams.•Talkabouthowyouestablishworklifebalance(“I’mincharge,butIamstillaperson,Ihavealife”).•Sharethepositivestoriesaboutbeingaseniorleaderandthejoyandbenefitsofbeingaleader. Focusingonsharingpositivestoriesofmakinganimpact.•Helpothersbeintentionalabouttheirleadershipandthinkofthemselvesasleaders.•Hireandshowcaseabroaderrangeofleaderstoencourageabroaderrangeofrolemodels.•Sharestoriesaboutmakingitthroughtoughsituations.•Talkabouttheimportanceofpersonalpowerandresources,abouttheneedtoinvestin one’sowncareer.

What Organizations and Associations Can Do

•Identifyspecificmeasuresandcreateplansandcommitmentforimpact.Focus,forexample,ongetting aspecificnumberofwomenonboardsandworkingwithaspecificnumberofwomenalreadyonboards tohelpmaximizetheircontributions.•Createopportunitiesformenandwomentoworktogetherasalliestocreatemoreinclusiveleadership.• Partner with corporate and business women groups. •Teachpeopleaboutthebusinessaspectsofhighereducation.•Developmentoringprogramsforspecificskillsetssuchaspoliticalsavvy.•Focusonstrategicsuccessionplanningandgettingwomenintotheconversation.•CreatetoolsandresourcesforDepartmentChairs,Deansandotherstohelpthemidentifyand tappotential.•HelpTrusteesbetterunderstandhighereducation.Connectwomentrusteeswitheachotheracross the board to create more awareness and support. •Maketheworkplacesandprofessionaleventsmorefamilyfriendly–stoppingthetenureclock, addressing barriers to accessing leave, etc. •Ateventsandconferences,haveaffinitytablesbasedonroles,typesofinstitutions,topicsorchallenges atconferencestocreateopportunitiestonetworkandtosharestoriesandadvice.•Haveasystemforsupportandadviceincrisissituations,suchasmentoringhotlinesornetworks.•Prepareleaderstohandlescrutinyandcriticism.Talkaboutcaseswherepeoplehavenavigateddifficult situationsandhowtheydidit.Developandusecasestudiestohaveconversationsabouthowtohandle situationsinordertobuildconfidenceandgeneratemoreoptionsforhowtohandlescrutinyand criticism.Provideconflictmanagement,crisiscommunication,andmediatraining.


42

LAST VIEWS FROM THE SUMMIT

The wisdom of the women leaders we

interviewed paints a nuanced view of women

at the top of higher education institutions.

The impact that women at the top can and do make

motivated these leaders to work through difficult

problems and circumstances. The importance

of influencing change and having a voice in

decision making contributed to the view of our

research participants that dealing with barriers

and negatives was worth the effort. These leaders

painted a picture of continuing discomfort with

female leadership in institutions of all types.

Exclusion from informal decision making settings

and outright stereotypical role expectations

continue. These leaders stressed the importance

of learning to cope with high visibility roles

including the criticism and scrutiny associated

with such roles. One woman commented higher

education was increasingly “…more politicized

and personalized.” Another woman suggested we

must encourage other women to say “no” to limits

and “yes” to choices. It is important to remember

that the women of color in our work found

“having an influence” to be even more important

than their white counterparts. Women of color

also had more negative experiences with

“lack of opportunity” and “scrutiny and

criticism” than their white counterparts.

In sum, much remains to be done but positive

change should be celebrated. Our women

leaders convinced us that excellence comes from

having the very best minds leading today and

for the future. We hope this report contributes

to encouraging girls, young women, and women

at all stages in their careers to claim and develop

their leadership and to seek positions that will

enable them to continue to develop and to

have a meaningful and positive impact. And

equally important, we hope that institutions and

male leaders will continue to contribute to the

changes needed in order to foster leadership

talent of all people in order to build, sustain,

and grow the most effective and successful

institutions possible. The need to develop

and retain talented leaders from a

variety of backgrounds and perspectives

is not a women’s issue: it is an institutional

imperative.


43

Colorado Women’s College. (2013). Benchmarking women’s leadership in the United States. Denver, CO: University of Denver. Retrieved from http://www.womenscollege.du.edu/media/documents/ BenchmarkingWomensLeadershipintheUS.pdf

Cook, B.J. & Kim, Y. M. (2012). The American college president 2012. Washington, DC: American Council on Education.

Edmondson Bell, E. L.J. & Nkomo, S. M. (2001). Our separate ways: Black and white women in the struggle for professional identity. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Gordon, L. D. (1990). Gender and higher education in the progressive era. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.

Joy, L., Carter, N. M., Wagner, H. M., & Narayanan, S. (2007, October). The bottom line: Corporate performance and women’s representation on boards. New York: Catalyst. Retrieved from: http://www.catalyst.org/ publication/200/the-bottom-line-corporate-performance-and-womens-representation-on-boards

Landis, J.R., & Koch, G.G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics. 33, 159-74.

United States Census Bureau. (December 2012). [2012 National population projections: Summary tables [Data file]. Retrieved from: http://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2012/summarytables.html

White, J. S. (2012, February) HERS Institutes: Curriculum for advancing women leaders in higher education. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 14(11), 11-27. doi: 10.1177/1523422311429732

Young, M. D., & McLeod, S. (2001). Flukes, opportunities, and planned interventions: Factors affecting women’s decisions to become school administrators. Educational Administration Quarterly, 37, 462-502.

REFERENCES


44

Description of Sample and Method

We set out to learn from women at the senior-most levels of institutions of higher

education what their journey to the top was like and about their experience of being a leader in higher education today. Much of what we learned echoes themes consistent with multiple streams of research to reinforce that women continue to face gendered challenges on their leadership journey and gives voice to stories that are both uplifting and disheartening. The experiences of women leaders, like those of most people, are filled with trade-offs. It is not all good or all bad. In our research we wanted to capture and reflect as accurate and balanced a perspective as possible.

Sample

Using a semi-structured interview protocol, we interviewed 37 senior-level women in

higher education. Two of the interviews were not analyzed because the interview quality was not sufficient for analysis, for a resulting sample of 35. The women were asked to provide demographic information via an online survey or as part of the interview. Interviewees were identified by tapping into the professional networks of the Chancellor at a major Midwestern University and the Executive Director of a leadership development institute for women in higher education. A snowball sampling technique was used to identify additional women to be interviewed. All women were assured that the information they shared would be kept confidential. Interviews were conducted face-to-face whenever possible, but the majority of interviews were conducted over the phone.

Efforts were made to gather information from as diverse and representative a sample as

possible. We made a special effort to interview women of color as they are underrepresented in the population and we wanted to gather sufficient data to calculate statistics to determine if white

women and women of color have different experiences or perspectives related to senior leadership roles and what it takes to reach that level. All of the interviewees that participated had a Doctorate as their highest earned degree. The mean age of the 35 interviewees was 57.49 years (SD = 7.90). The majority (20) of interviewees were Caucasian; with the remaining interviewees identifying as African American (9), Latina (1), Native American (2), Latina & Native American (1) or Other (2). An Asian/Pacific Islander president was interviewed following the initial interviews and data analysis. Her perspectives are incorporated in examples but not in the statistical data. Twenty-three of the participants were married, three were partnered, four were single/never married, and the remaining women were widowed (1), divorced (1), or living as married (1) or did not report (2). Seventeen of the participants had at least one child, with an average of 2.2 children. In terms of their organizational level, 15 were Presidents/Chancellors (two being emeritae), 10 were Vice Presidents/Vice Chancellors, five were Provosts, with the remaining five falling into other senior leadership roles, such as Dean, Chief Diversity Officer or Treasurer etc. Seventeen of the participants had been in their current positions for 1-5 years, 10 in their current role for 6-10 years, four in the role for less than a year, and four had been in their role for longer than 11 years. Fourteen participants were employed by Public Universities, with the remaining women representing a variety of institution types including Private Liberal Arts Colleges, Community Colleges, Private Universities, Tribal, Technical, Public, and Private Colleges, an Art Institute, or a Board of Regents. Sixteen participants were employed at institutions with student enrollment between 1,000 and 9,000, seven at institutions with enrollment between 10,000 and 19,000, and five where enrollment was between 20,000 and 31,000 students. The remaining participants work at institutions where enrollment exceeds 50,000 (1) students, less than 1,000 students (4), or did not report (1).

APPENDICES


45

Current Job TitlePresident/Chancellor 15

Dean 1

Consultant 1

Provost 5

Senior Program Officer 1

Treasurer 1

Vice President/Vice Chancellor 10

Chief Diversity Office and Special Assistant to the President

1

How do you identify your race/ethnicity?African American 9

Caucasian 20

Hispanic or Latina 1

Native American 2

Latina/Native American 1

Other 2

Type of InstitutionArt Institute 1

Board of Regents 1

Community College 3

Private College 1

Private Liberal Arts College 9

Private University 2

Public Liberal Arts 1

Public University 14

Public College 1

Technical College 1

Tribal College 1

How long have you been in your current position?Less than a year 4

1-5 Years 17

6-10 Years 10

11-15 years 4

Retired 1

Approximate Number of Students Enrolled 100-900 Students 4

1000-9000 Students 16

10000-19000 Students 7

20000-31000 Students 5

50000 Students 1

Missing data 2

Approximately how many people work for your organization/institution?Less than 50 2

51-250 8

251-1000 14

Over 1000 11

Direct Reports Direct Reports 1-10 22

Direct Reports 11-20 7

Direct Reports 21-50 3

Direct Reports 100+ 1

APPENDICES, Samples cont.


46

In how many different organizations/institutions have you worked? Diff Org Work 2 1

Diff Org Work 3 3

Diff Org Work 4 8

Diff Org Work 5 8

Diff Org Work 6 5

Diff Org Work 7 1

Diff Org Work 8 6

Diff Org Work 9 1

Diff Org Work 10 1

Diff Org Work 20 1

Number of Organizational Boards ServedBoards Served 1 6

Boards Served 2 9

Boards Served 3 8

Boards Served 4 2

Boards Served 5 2

Boards Served 7 1

Boards Served 8 2

Boards Served 12+ 1

AgeAges 40-50 7

Ages 51-60 12

Ages 61-70 16

Relationship Status Divorced 1

Living as Married 1

Married 23

Partnered 3

Single 4

Widowed 1

Missing data 2

Number of Children C 1 Child 5

C 2 Children 8

C 3 Children 2

C 5 Children 2

APPENDICES, Samples cont.


47

Method

All of the interviews were professionally transcribed. Two researchers independently created

summaries of each interview, organized by interview section. The two summaries were then

combined into a single summary for each interview. Four members of the research team read all the

summaries and proposed and discussed themes from interviews; 15 themes emerged. Based on these

themes, we developed an initial codebook of the 15 themes. At least three independent coders coded

each full interview transcript using an open coding approach. In this approach researchers systematically

and independently reviewed interviews to identify passages of text related to the 15 identified themes.

The inter-rater agreement among raters was calculated.

APPENDICES, Method

Inter-rater Agreements for Initial Coding


Theme Level of Agreement

Confronting Political Landscapes, Institutional Systems, and Gendered Expectations

0.99

Positive Aspects of being in a Leadership Role 0.99

Gendered Leadership Style 0.95

General Encouragement, Support, and/or Acceptance 0.94

Negative Aspects of being in a Leadership Role 0.93

Someone Inside the Organization at the Time of the Event Described

0.93

A Family Member Outside the Organization 0.86

Agency Self-Efficacy 0.81

Formal Development Experiences 0.80

General Discouragement, Naysaying, and Lack of Support 0.77

Task Information, Knowledge Development, Career Growth, and Task Completion

0.76

Someone (or Some Group) Outside the Organization at the Time of the Event Described

0.71

Authenticity 0.66

Role Models 0.65

Career Stalling or Limiting 0.60

48

APPENDICES, Method cont.

Based on the initial coding we identified

themes to pursue based not only on the level

of inter-rater agreement, but also with the desire

to provide a balanced overview by focusing on the

dichotomies (e.g. positive and negative themes).

We further refined the code descriptions of these

areas and reexamined the interviews to confirm

that we identified all the interviews’ relevant

passages. All of the interview passages associated

with a theme were then reviewed by at least two

researchers and sub-themes were identified

and discussed. Codebooks were created for the

following themes: Barriers to Leadership, Supports

for Leadership, Negative Aspects of Being in a

Leadership Role, and Positive Aspects of Being

in Leadership Role. These four codebooks also

included verbatim examples from the interviews to

help the coders stay consistent with one another.

Our analysis then focused on these two sets of

trade-offs. The first set of themes examines

the supports for and barriers to leadership roles.

The women we interviewed shared stories about

experiences that provided them with support

on their leadership journey as well as stories of

the barriers or roadblocks they faced along the

way. We coded the responses associated with

these themes into sub-themes to better illustrate

the nature of the supports and barriers. The

second set of themes focused on the negative and

positive aspects of being in a senior leadership

role within higher education. Interviewees were

asked, and shared examples, about the advantages

and disadvantages of being a senior leader. We

then coded responses into sub-themes to better

illustrate the positive and negative aspects of

being in a leadership role.

Two independent raters coded the interview

passages into the sub-themes. The codes were

captured and analyzed using the Nvivo software.

The level of agreement between the two raters was

calculated using Cohen’s Kappa (K), a statistical

measure which calculates agreement between rater

groups while taking into account the probability

that they may agree by chance, the complete

values for which can be found in the tables below

divided out by sub-category. The average value of

Cohen’s Kappa ranged from .18 to .86 across the

sub-categories. Though not a universally accepted

measure, a commonly used scale (Landis and Koch,

1977) considers Kappa values between .21 and .40

as indicating fair agreement; between .41 and .60 as

indicating moderate agreement; between .61 and

.80 indicating substantial agreement; and between

.81 and .99 as indicating near perfect agreement.

Any passages in the interviews on which coders

did not agree were discussed in further detail

by the two researchers until an agreement was

reached on the appropriate coding designation.

An agreement was reached in all cases, though in

some instances it was agreed that the passage did

not contain enough information and was instead

omitted from coding.


49

Cohen’s Kappa for Sub-themes

APPENDICES, Method


Kappa

BARRIERS TO LEADERSHIP

Not Having a Leadership Identity .47

Lack of Opportunity and Support .46

Discouragement and Sabotage .66

Different Expectations for Men and Women .65

SUPPORTS FOR LEADERSHIP Formal Leadership Development .39

Early Leadership Experiences .86

Encouragement and Support .80

Having a Role Model .40

NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THE ROLE Scrutiny and Criticism .65

Time Demands of the Job .79

Pressure of Ultimate Accountability .41

Broad Scope of the Job .37

Isolation .66

Not Fitting In-Not Being Heard .84

POSITIVE ASPECTS OF THE ROLE Having an Influence .21

Making an Impact .38

Broad Scope of the Job .80

Power, Authority and Autonomy .18

Being a Role Model .67

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to conduct Pearson’s chi-square

test the independence in order to examine the relationship between the categories within each thematic

area and the racial categorization of the women in our sample. Race was categorized as a dichotomous

variable (e.g. white women and women of color). This is not to suggest that either white women or women

of color are homogenous groupings, but rather to determine albeit at a crude level, if women of color

and white women have different experiences and perspectives of their leadership journey. These analyses

extend previous research about the intersectionality of race and gender. Chi-square tests of independence

were also performed to examine the relation between organizational level and the categories within each

thematic area. Organizational level was categorized as a dichotomous variable (e.g. President or Chancellor

and women at lower organizational levels).

50

APPENDICES, SPSS

Table 1

Chi-squared Test Results Comparing Presidents & Chancellors with other Senior Women Leaders


President & Chancellors(N=15)

Other Senior Leaders(N=20)

X2 p-value

n % n %


Not Having a Leadership Identity 7 46% 9 45% .010 .922

Lack of Opportunity and Support 8 53% 10 50% .038 .845

Discouragement and Sabotage 9 60% 12 60% .000 1.000


10 66% 15 75% .292 .589

SUPPORTS FOR LEADERSHIP Formal Leadership Development 4 26% 5 26% .012 .911

Early Leadership Experiences 0 0% 3 15% 2.461 .117

Encouragement and Support 4 26% 10 50% 1.944 .163

Having a Role Model 2 13% 3 15% .019 .889

NEGATIVE ASPECTS Scrutiny and Criticism 5 33% 9 45% .486 .486

Time Demands of the Job 5 33% 11 55% 1.621 .203

Pressure of Ultimate Accountability 7 46% 4 20% 2.828 .093

Broad Scope of the Job 6 40% 5 25% .895 .344

Isolation 5 33% 5 25% .292 .589

Not Fitting In-Not Being Heard 4 26% 5 25% .012 .911

POSITIVE ASPECTS Having an Influence 4 26% 5 25% .012 .911

Making an Impact 13 86% 15 75% .729 .393

Broad Scope of the Job 4 26% 6 30% .047 .829

Power, Authority and Autonomy 8 53% 7 35% 1.176 .278

Being a Role Model 3 20% 7 35% .945 .331

The only statistically significant differences (at the p<.05 level) in codes were between white women

and women of color, there were no significant differences between women at different organizational

levels. The three codes that have statistically significant differences between white women and women of

color were Scrutiny & Criticism (c2(1, N = 35) = 7.78, p = .005), Lack of Opportunity & Support (c2(1, N = 35)

= 5.04, p = .025), and Having an Influence (c2 (1, N = 35) = 6.03, p = .014). In all three cases, women of color

expressed higher frequencies as compared to white women (see Table 2 for full results).

51

APPENDICES, Chi-squared Test Results, cont.


Table 2

Chi-squared Test Results Comparing White Women with Women of Color

White Women(N=20)

Women of color(N=15)

X2 p-value

n % n %


Not Having a Leadership Identity 9 45% 7 46% 0.010 0.922

Lack of Opportunity and Support 7 35% 11 73% 5.040 0.025*

Discouragement and Sabotage 11 55% 10 66% 0.486 0.486


13 65% 8 53% 0.486 0.486

SUPPORTS FOR LEADERSHIP Formal Leadership Development 5 25% 5 33% 0.292 0.589

Early Leadership Experiences 1 5% 2 13% 0.760 0.383

Encouragement and Support 7 35% 7 46% 0.486 0.486

Having a Role Model 4 20% 1 6% 1.244 0.265

NEGATIVE ASPECTS Scrutiny and Criticism 4 20% 10 67% 7.778 0.005**

Time Demands of the Job 10 50% 6 40% 0.345 0.557

Pressure of Ultimate Accountability 8 40% 3 20% 1.591 0.207

Broad Scope of the Job 6 30% 5 33% 0.044 0.833

Isolation 6 30% 5 33% 0.044 0.833

Not Fitting In-Not Being Heard 3 15% 6 40% 2.804 0.094

POSITIVE ASPECTS Having an Influence 2 10% 7 46% 6.033 0.014*

Making an Impact 15 75% 13 86% 0.729 0.393

Broad Scope of the Job 7 35% 3 20% 0.945 0.331

Power, Authority and Autonomy 9 45% 6 40% 0.088 0.767

Being a Role Model 5 25% 5 33% 0.292 0.589

Note: *p<0.05. **p<0.01. Table 2

52

WOMEN’S CROSS-SECTOR LEADERSHIP PROJECT

Interview Questions4

Background/Career Information

1.Pleasetellmeaboutyourcurrentpositionintheorganization/institution.

a.Howdidyoucometobeintheleadershippositionyouareinnow (e.g.didyouapply,wereyouasked,wasitsomethingyouplanned,etc.?)

b.Didanyoneencourageorrecommendyoubecomea(indicatetitlehere– e.g.provost/president/chancellor)?____________________________________ Ifyes,atwhatpointinyourcareerdidthisoccur? Whatwasyourrelationshiptothatindividual?

c.Didanyonediscourageyoufrombecomingaprovost/president/chancellor? Ifyes,atwhatpointinyourcareerdidthisoccur? Whatwasyourrelationshiptothatindividual?

d.Asyoulookbackoverthecourseofyourcareer,whatdoyouthinkleadtoyoubeingina leadershiprole(itcouldbepeople,orsituations,or…)

e.Whatgotinthewayof(orwasachallengeto)yougettingaseniorleadershiproleinhigher education(itcouldbepeople,orsituations,or…)

Leadership

2.Whatarethebenefits/advantagesofbeinginaseniorleadershiproleinhighereducation?

3.Whatarethedisadvantages?

4.Doyouthinkmenandwomenexperiencedifferentadvantagesordisadvantagesofbeing inaleadershiprole?Describeanydifferences.

4 These interview questions were developed by the Center for Creative Leadership, Higher Education Resource Services, and the University of Colorado - Colorado Springs as part of a collaborative research effort.


53

WOMEN’S CROSS-SECTOR LEADERSHIP PROJECT, cont.

Supports and Challenges For Women in General

5.Whydoyouthinktherearefewerwomeninseniorleadershippositionswithinhighereducation? a. Some people believe that women limit their own advancement by choice. Whatareyourthoughtsaboutthisstatement?

b.Arethereparticularissues/challenges/problems/situationswhichcausewomenpause astheyconsiderleadershippositions?

c.Arethereparticularbenefits/advantages/supportsthatareavailabletowomenasthey considerleadershippositions?

d.Doyoubelievethatwomenaspiringtotopleaderpositionsfacedifferentchallenges thanmendo?Explain.

e.Doyoubelievethatwomenaspiringtotopleaderpositionshavedifferentadvantages thanmendo?Explain.

6.Whataretheconsequencesoftherenotbeingmanywomenexecutive/seniorleadersin highereducation?

7.Haveyouseenindividualswhohavederailed(orhavebeenforcedtoresignorterminationor maynothaveprogressedfurtherintheircareerasexpected)inhighereducation?Ifyes,what happened?(Haveyouexperiencedderailment?Whathappened?)

Advice

8.Whatadvice/suggestionsdoyouhaveforincreasingthenumberofwomenleadersin highereducation?

a.Whatdoeshighereducationasawholeneedtodo?

b.Whatdohighereducationleadersneedtodo?

c.Shouldpublicpolicyplayarole?Describe.


Documents

Leadership Journeys of Senior Women in Higher Educaon€¦ · Leadership conducted and analyzed interviews with 35 senior level women leaders in higher education about their journey